30 septembre 2009
Maisons-Laffitte Castle, Yvelines, France
Maisons-Laffitte Castle 
This Castle is located in Maison-Laffitte town , western suburbs of Paris .
Around 1636, René de Longueil ( President of the Parliament of Paris) decided to build a castle in his family property at Maisons-Sur-Seine. This French Classical Style Castle was designed by the architect François Mansart & was inaugurated in 1651 in the presence of Anne d'Autriche & her son Louis XIV ( 12 yrs old). Upto 1777, this castle was in the hands of Longueil Family. Later it was bought by Charles X, who has a passion for horses. After revolution, the castle was bought by Marshall Lannes & later by Jacques Lafitte( Governer of Banque de France) . In 1844, Laffitte was bankrupted & sold out to French Government . Thus "Maisons Castle" became "Maisons Laffitte Castle" / "Chateau de Maisons Laffitte".
In 1850, Joseph Ollier bought the meadows beside the Seine River to build a horserace track .Racecourse was inaugurated on 6th June 1878. After this town was nicknamed as "Cité du Cheval".
25 septembre 2009
Badam Halwa for Navaratri
Badam Halwa
Ingredients
2 cups almond powder
1 cup sugar
70 g butter / ghee
1 glass of milk
1/2 tsp cardomom / nutmeg powder
Method
Melt ghee & just fry almond powder.
Add sugar & milk .
Stir continuously over medium heat.
When the mixture leaves the sides of the pan, remove from fire .
Add cardomom powder & mix well with a wooden spatule.
Pat it onto a greased dish & cut into desired shapes.
HAPPY NAVARATRI
22 septembre 2009
Avocado Shake / Sinh To Bo - A Vietnamese drink
Avocado Shake 
Ingredients
1 ripe avocado
200 ml condensed milk
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cardomom powder
Ice cubes
Method
Scoop out the flesh of avocado & blend in a food processor.
Add other ingredients & mix well.
Garnish with cardomom powder & serve.
19 septembre 2009
Happy Navarathri - Les neufs nuits de la Déesse Durga
Happy Navarathri
"Navarathri" means 9 Devine Nights .
These are the most auspicious days for Hindus.
First three days we worship Goddess Durga.
( Goddess of Power)
Next three days we worship Goddess Lakshmi .
( Goddess of Wealth & Prosperity)
Last three days we worship Goddess Sarawathi .
( Goddess of Wisdom)
The tenth day is the " Vijaya Dashami" .
In Hindu mythology it's said that Goddess Durga killed the demon king "Mahishasura" on that day.
17 septembre 2009
Spicy Multilayered Pathiri - A Malabar Muslim Special
Adukku Pathiri
Ingredients
1 cup rice powder ( ponni rice)
400 ml coconut milk
1/2 tsp cardomom powder
Salt to taste
Filling
250 g minced meat
2 onions(chopped)
2 cloves of garlic + a piece of ginger (make a paste)
1 green chilli
1 tbsp masala powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Method
Heat oil in a sauce pan.
Fry onions till light golden brown.
Add ginger- garlic paste & fry again.
Then add masala,salt & minced meat.
Add some water & cook for 10 min.
Garnish with coriander leaves & garam masala.
Remove from fire & Keep aside.
***
Mix the first four ingredients & keep aside for an hour.
If you are using rice grains, soak them in hot water & grind to a paste along with coconut milk.
If the dough is thick, add some water.
Heat a steamer with sufficient amount af water.
Butter a pan & pour a ladle of dough .
Cover & steam cook for 8mn.
Open the lid, spread some oil on the top of the pathiri .
Uniformly spread the meat filling & then pour again a ladle of rice dough.
Cover & steam cook again for another 8mn.
Repeat it according to the depth of the vessel ( max 6).
The top layer must be of he rice dough.
Serve hot as a starter.
11 septembre 2009
Mughlai Chicken
Mughlai Chicken 
Ingredients
1 kg chicken
2 tbsp curd
1 tsp salt
2 onions finely sliced
1 tsp ginger + garlic paste
3 potatoes (cubed)
2 bay leaves
Coriander leaves
Garam Masala
Masala Paste
1 tsp turmeric power
1 tbsp almond powder(10 almonds)
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 cardomom pods
Method
Roast all the masala ingredients in a tablespoon of ghee & then grind to fine paste.
Marinate the chicken pieces with this masala paste
Add curd + salt & mix well.
Cover & refrigerate for 1 hour.
Warm the oil in a casserole . Add bay leaves.
Add finely sliced onions.
When it turns golden brown, add ginger-garlic paste.
Then add marinated chicken.
Stir for a while & add water .
Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 20min, stirring from time to time.
When half cooked, add potatoes.
When the chicken is cooked thoroughly, remove from fire.
Garnish with coriander leaves & garam masala.
Serve hot with jeera rice / naan / Pathiri / Chapathi / "Baguette" - long skinny French bread .
08 septembre 2009
Asha Bhonsle turns 77- One of her classics
Movie : Hum Dono (1961)
Actors : Dev Anand & Sadhana
Song : Abhi Na Jao Chod Kar ke Dil Abhi Bhara Nahin by Rafi & Asha.
Bollywood - Fight Club
Movie : Fight Club (2006)
Actors : Zayed Khan & Dia
Song : Bolo Na Tum Zara by Shann & Shreya Ghoshal.
07 septembre 2009
Cumin Flavoured Rice
Jeera Rice 
Ingredients
2 cups cooked Basmati rice
1 cup cooked green peas
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 green chilli ( choped)
1 tsp ginger +garlic paste
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves
2 tbsp ghee / oil
Method
Heat the oil/ ghee in a frying pan.
Add the finely chopped onions.
Stir often & when it turns light brown add cooked peas.
Then add ginger / garlic paste, turmeric, salt, cumin & a little water.
Cover & cook for a while.
Then add cooked rice & toss gently.
Garnish with coriander leaves & serve with curries.
02 septembre 2009
Thiruvathirakali - Danse du Kerala
thiruvathira
envoyé par ronnieronald
Thiruvathirakali - Folk dance of Kerala.
